Meet the Maker: Pepin Bell
One of our favourite people to work with is Pepin Bell - a very talented and knowledgeable plasterer & renderer servicing the Northern Rivers.
Pepin has been rendering and plastering for 17 years. Growing up in the Cotwolds of England and moving to Australia in 2016. He saw a gap in the local market - someone who works closely with their clients in an honest manner to achieve their vision. That’s when he started Royal Finish Plaster. He counts himself lucky enough to work closely with some great people on some incredible projects.
We recently sat down with Pepin to share some insight into what is a niche and often misunderstood area of building and design.
How would you describe your style?
Having grown up and worked mostly in the Cotswolds of England, I’d say my style is a little different from most people in Australia. I learnt my trade using traditional materials to repair heritage and listed buildings. This installed a keen eye for detail, a high standard in my work and an appreciation for natural, raw materials having worked on places like Blenheim palace and Princess Anne’s house that are hundreds of years old.
What products do you love working with?
I’ve always loved natural materials, they serve more of a purpose than just aesthetics. Products that can help your house breathe, can regulate humidity are anti bacterial and can improve air quality.
This is why I work closely with Mineral Fox. They are advocates of quality natural materials. They have beautiful lime and gypsum plasters that are made locally in Australia and also import one of my favourite products which is a clay plaster from Clayworks, made in Devon, England.
What is something most people don’t know about plastering?
I’d probably say for me the use of the word plasterer! In the UK, if you’re a plasterer you work with all materials and renders. We apply a plaster over the whole wall and trowel it to a paint finish without the need for sanding. In Australia the term ‘plasterer’ usually just refers to setting the gyprock joins and sanding them back ready for paint.
Or maybe just the vast amount of ‘plasters’ that are available. The market is flooded with products, it’s very hard for a client to understand what they want and what they are getting. That’s why I find it so important to be transparent with your client and guide them as best you can to achieve what they want with the most suitable product. It’s down to us to educate them and not take advantage.
In your words, what is the difference between plaster and microcement?
Plaster is an umbrella term used to describe a wall/ceiling coating, this could be gypsum, lime, clay etc. and could refer to setting walls ready for paint or could be a decorative plaster that doesn’t get painted.
Microcement is a product made from cement and polymer resin. It’s designed to be applied in thin layers and because of its strength and durability it can be used it high traffic areas such as floors, countertops and showers.
What is your preferred product for wet areas?
After using many different products available that suggest they are suitable for wet areas, I will only use Mercadier Béton Ciré. This is a French product supplied by Mineral fox. It has been tried and tested for many years, unlike lots of other products being introduced to the market to keep up with the demand and trend of seamless bathroom designs.
Can you do plastered kitchen benchtops?
Yes you can, but like many other kitchen bench options there is a level of care that needs to be taken. I only use solvent based sealers when doing benches which some clients might be opposed to. These sealers are very hard wearing and when cleaned appropriately will last.
What to look for when selecting a plasterer to work with?
I think communication is the key. Find someone willing to go over different options with you. Show them what you want and hopefully they will be able to go through the best options for you. Make sure you find out what products they will use and do some research on those products. Get them to show you a sample of what they will use and if you can go check out some of their work or ask for references. Anything can look good online, it’s the little details that count.
What surfaces can you plaster over and what are no-gos?
With the right preparation most surfaces can have some sort of finish applied over them. It will just depend on the surface. It’s a bit trickier with natural products as they don’t have as much flexibility and adhesive properties as some synthetic plasters and renders.
How do you care for/clean plastered surfaces or walls?
Again this depends on what the product is. If using natural products for the breathability then these won’t be sealed with a surface sealer. In which case you’d need to take more care when cleaning. A damp cloth with warm water should do the trick. Scuffs can sometimes be very lightly sanded out.
If you are looking to clean microcement then most brands offer their own cleaning products. These are usually ph neutral cleaners. Anything with high acidic or alkaline content could wear down sealers. So look for natural, ph neutral cleaning products.
What would be the price range someone should expect to pay for microcement or Venetian plaster?
Microcement can vary from around $180 to $400 a square meter. You certainly get what you pay for though. Venetian plaster can mean so many different things now, but overall for a decorative plaster finish this can range from anywhere between $80 to $300 a square metre. If you’re looking for custom one-off finishes you can potentially pay a lot more.
Contact Pepin
royalfinishplaster.com.au
Email: pepin@royalfinishplaster.com.au
Phone: 0472 980 956
